What I learned today.

[Alphahawk]

Went to Pickwick but didn't count on the water below the dam being as high as it was. No crappie bite so started throwing the tungsten jig and letting it hit bottom....which today was 40 feet. Caught a bunch of very short sauger...and a bunch of 6 inch Gills. Now I fished salt water for 21 years and am very familiar with air bladders bringing up grouper...snapper and so on. When I released the sauger off he swam to the depths. When I released the Gills they flopped around on the surface. So I put some water in my bucket and threw them in there until they stayed upright and then when released back to the river off they swam. Never experienced this before. Water temp was 49 degrees at surface. Always something new to learn. The sauger were plentiful below dam. Lot of boats around and bank fisherman also but no one had a legal sauger all day. Need the water to get back to around 361 for me to try again...today was 371.



Regards

[Reel Tune]

Very interesting observation Alpha, I wonder if it was water temperature, or pressure change?

[MNfisher]

Interesting. We used to fish yellow perch in 35-45 ft of water in winter and if you brought them up too fast their air bladders were coming out of their mouth. Did you notice this at all?

[tacklemake]

Thanks Randy for another great report..............woody

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by MNfisher

Interesting. We used to fish yellow perch in 35-45 ft of water in winter and if you brought them up too fast their air bladders were coming out of their mouth. Did you notice this at all?

No bladder that I saw....I think Jeremy may have hit it on the head with thermal shock.....but the sauger were just fine.



Regards


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[bfish]

Barotrauma, ie pressure change. Smaller fish would be more susceptible.